Of Baking and Musings
by lilfoodmonster
Summary: She insists no, but he persists, and she gives in. After all, no one denies a Malfoy. DracoxHermione. Also, not as humorous as the genre makes it seem.


**Disclaimer: I in no way own the Harry Potter series. They belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling.**

_Set after the War and after everyone (basically the Golden Trio, their class, and everyone that was involved in the fight at Hogwarts. Whatever you call that group of people) graduates. Draco and Hermione are in a relationship, and this is a peek into their "daily life". It's in quotations because their daily life, in my own head, is completely random and generally has to do with Draco messing everything up, as you shall see when I finish this author's note. _

A flour covered Hermione Granger groaned as she closed her eyes and pinched her nose bridge, questioning why she ever agreed to this. Oh, right. Her _boyfriend_ tended to do things on a whim, pouting and begging until he got what he wanted. After all, no one ever denies a determined Malfoy, who also looked terribly adorable with his lower lip slightly jutting out in a small pout. As if that wasn't enough to soften up the stubborn witch, the man would look up at her from his ridiculously long lashes. Hermione scoffed at the mental image, imagining the looks of horror and most likely slight disgust on her former classmates' faces had they seen the man's absurd facial expressions that were so different from the cold looks he used to flash everyone. Not, of course, that the great Draco Malfoy didn't still do that. He just did it less, which was quite an improvement. But back to the matter at hand.

"'Mione...?" Draco asked hesitantly, lips curving down into a small frown at his girlfriend's distress. As usual, he conveniently forgot that he was typically the cause for a certain brunette's sighs and exasperated mutters. Besides, it wasn't as though he did anything _majorly_ wrong. Take now for example. Sure, Hermione's kitchen was now completely covered in flour, sugar, and splats of melted chocolate, but they were spending time together and having fun. Or, at least it was his idea of fun. Clearly the woman in front of him was not amused at all, no doubt thinking what a hassle it would be to clean up the mess. Still an advocate for house elves' rights, she refused to let Draco's one house elf do any of her work. Magic would suffice, but she was a not-so-secret complainer and could find fault in anything and everything.

Taking a deep breath and opening her eyes again, Hermione looked at Draco and forced a smile on her face, well aware of how strained it must seem. "Yes, Draco?" she asked calmly, almost all traces of her earlier exasperation gone, save for the slight challenge in her chocolate brown eyes. _There's nothing to get angry about. He just wanted to spend time together and do something productive. Ha. Productive. Look at the mess._

As Hermione continued her inner dialogue with herself, Draco gave her a wary look and asked cautiously (who ever thought a Malfoy was capable of that? They practically prided themselves at being confident, and obnoxiously so), "Can we keep baking? I really want to bake a cake for you." And he once again pulled that pathetically cute face of his, effectively turning Hermione into human mush. Not literally, of course. Draco the Drama Queen would have freaked out if his beloved girlfriend did that, and everytime he did that face or showed his seductive side at that.

And with that request, how could she possibly ignore the man? He only suggested baking with good intentions, even if he did completely turn her kitchen into a hazard zone after the numerous failed attempts to bake an edible cake using the Muggle way. Not only did he suggest it with the thought of spending time with her, he also wanted to bake a cake just for her. She was by no means a certain Ronald Bilius Weasley, but she did enjoy her food, particularly when it was specially made with her in mind. Draco certainly knew the way to her stomach. Er, heart. Stomach, heart, same difference, right? So, with a sigh, she calmed her inner thoughts and flashed him a genuine smile. "Let's keep trying until we make a pretty _and _edible cake," she responded with the tiniest emphasis on the edible. She really had no wish to die at the hands of a simple chocolate cake.

The response she wanted from him came almost immediately at her words. Draco's face brightened up and he started to measure out the ingredients again, this time carefully mixing them until the batter was just right. As he did that, Hermione examined his features, thinking about how much happier and light-hearted he had become with his father in Azkaban and Narcissa moving into a new mansion and leaving behind the dark memories the Black mansion brought. His father had truly influenced the family in one of the most negative ways, and with that influence gone, both Narcissa and Draco seemed like different people. Except they weren't. They simply became the people they really were, without the oppression of Lucius, and more importantly, the Dark Lord.

Draco's platinum blond hair fell over his eyes that were currently focused on the batter in front of him, his left arm cradling the mixing bowl and his right hand whisking away. His tall, lean figure leaned against the counter as he whisked, occasionally dropping his right hand onto the marble countertop when he got tired. The man had really received all the good genes from his parents in addition to his inheritance. Though his features were tough and cruel before, his features now softened and his eyes held a glint of mischievousness, which only added to his physical appeal.

But the man wasn't only physically appealing. After all, Hermione wasn't _that_ kind of girl-the kind that only went for looks and didn't give a second thought to her partner's intelligence level and personality. No, Hermione would only deem someone witty and intelligent worthy of her time, and she found those traits in Draco Malfoy. It came as a shock at first to her friends that she would even consider talking to the man, considering how much he had tortured and bullied them during their Hogwarts day, even going so far as to calling Hermione and other muggleborns "Mudbloods". But as Hermione spent more time with Draco and dragging him along to the social shenanigans that Ginny liked to hold, they all saw the change in the man and slowly accepted him as one of their own. He was as witty as Hermione, and matched her gibe for gibe. Their playful banter was amusing to everyone in their vicinity, and they made it a point to be as sarcastic as possible. Sarcastic though he was, however, Draco was still one of the most caring and loving people that Hermione knew. It was irony, but it was true. She saw how he fretted over his mother and would visit the aging woman everyday to keep her company. She also did not miss the soft look in his eyes when he looked at her, eliciting a warm feeling in her that sometimes made her thoughts muddled.

Hermione was so caught up in staring at her boyfriend and contemplating the dynamics of their relationship that she didn't notice that said person was already done mixing the batter, placing the batter in a pan, and putting the pan in the preheated oven and was currently looking at her with amusement.

"Am I really that beautiful for you to be staring at me like that?" he questioned, clearly enjoying the attention.

With a snort, Hermione only replied, "Quite the contrary. I do believe I'm the beautiful one in this relationship."

She would normally be abhorred at what she had just said as she was not one to flaunt herself or be so vain. But that sentence was one that she and Draco often used when bantering, having started when she first used it when she couldn't think of anything clever to say in return to his gibe. Since then, it had made an appearance in almost every exchange of teasing remarks.

What he said next was so incredibly cheesy that she could have laughed if it wasn't for the serious expression on his face. "You _are_ the beautiful one in this relationship, Hermione. You're beautiful inside and out, and that is why I love you," he said quietly, his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath fanning across her face. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him, flour and all. Their close proximity had Hermione feeling quite nervous, as it always made her. Not one to show public affection outside despite Draco's childish whines, she was rather intimidated by intimacy even when in private. Slinking her own arms around his waist, she stared into his eyes, captured as always by his expressive eyes that showed love and compassion for her. Draco leaned his face closer to hers, lips twisting up into the smallest of smirks at her red face. Right as he was about to kiss her, the timer rang, indicating that the cake was done baking.

Pulling away and laughing at Hermione's small frown of disappointment, he pecked her cheek and put on oven mitts to pull the chocolate cake out of the oven. Carefully carrying the pan to the countertop, he flipped it over the knife board that was already out, and was pleasantly surprised when the cake came out without much difficulty. Hermione walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, peeking around his body to look at the cake that actually looked like it could be eaten without the death of the unfortunate soul would consumed it. She looked up at Draco who had cut a piece and was currently chewing it.

He swallowed and stared at the cake, eyebrows furrowed. Then his expression cleared and a grin formed on his face. Cutting a piece of the cake, he fed the piece to a suspicious Hermione. But as soon as the cake touched her tongue, she instantly smiled. The cake was more than edible-it was delicious. It was definitely the perfect cake, and it was about time they got it right. It was their 14th attempt at baking the cake after all. Grinning down at an approving Hermione, Draco leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips before continuing to eat the cake and occasionally feeding Hermione.

They continued to eat the cake until every last cake was consumed, not worried about the mess they had to clean up and focused only on the cake and each other. Grinning to herself, Hermione thought, _And the baking disaster wasn't such a disaster after all._

* * *

A/N: Welp. That was incredibly plotless and cheesy. There wasn't even really a mention of baking in it orz. Though to be fair, I don't know anything about cooking or baking at all. I am only knowledgeable in the subject of consuming food lol. Not edited because it's 2:34 in the morning and I've got to wake up fairly early for class tomorrow, and this will probably stay unedited because I'm a lazy butt and I'm not even going to deny it. Why deny the truth, right? Anyways. It's my first completed fic (not surprising since it's a oneshot. Duh, Priscilla), so please give it some love? Or hate. Whichever you prefer haha. I should also mention that I don't really know how to work this site yet, despite having had an account for almost a year now orz, so if anyone reviews and you get no reply, it's not because I hate you. I always make it a point to reply because you guys are spending time reading and reviewing my fic. I just have no idea how to anything. LOL well, before you drown in this horrendously long author's note, I'll end it by saying once again, I hope you enjoyed this short piece of randomness!


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